Windows vs Mac

[LeeB]

I'm in the process of buying a new computer to do my photo/video editing as well as photogrammetry and would appreciate your thoughts on Windows vs Mac.
Mac: looking at a Mac Book Pro, M1 Pro, 32 gb memory, 1tb SSD, 14" or 16" display.
Windows: This is harder to configure. I know I can get more bang for my buck with a desktop but like the portability of a laptop. Other choices: chip, memory, GPU.
Any recommendation greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Snowghost]

As a retired IT Director having dealt with Microsoft Workstations, Servers, etc. for more than 20 years, my personal computer of choice is 16" Intel i9 MacBook Pro, 32GB RAM, with 1TB SSD. No issues with 4k video editing. I'm done with Windows--except for a Win10 VM to mainly use M$ ICE and other legacy apps.

Edit: the Graphics are AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8GB and Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

 

[LeeB]

As a retired IT Director having dealt with Microsoft Workstations, Servers, etc. for more than 20 years, my personal computer of choice is 16" Intel i9 MacBook Pro, 32GB RAM, with 1TB SSD. No issues with 4k video editing. I'm done with Windows--except for a Win10 VM to mainly use M$ ICE and other legacy apps.

Edit: the Graphics are AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8GB and Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

Thanks for the information. Why Intel and not the M1?

 

[Snowghost]

Bought it before the M1 came out. Otherwise probably would have. Nothing wrong with Intel IMHO though.

 

[LeeB]

Bought it before the M1 came out. Otherwise probably would have. Nothing wrong with Intel IMHO though.

I'm looking at installing WebODM which now runs on the M1 in a docker container. I believe that DaVinci Resolve now runs on the M1 but still need to verify that.
I also prefer Mac to Windows. Their integrated GPU seems to be quite good at handling video editing.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

I believe that DaVinci Resolve now runs on the M1 but still need to verify that.

Da Vinci does run on the M1, I have a Mac Mini M1 and even at 8GB of RAM, it runs H.265 60fps like a dream. If you get the MacBook Pro M1 with 32GB of RAM, you will not be disappointed.

 

[dougcjohn]

Personally, the MacBook Pro M1 Pro or Max for a notebook (plugged or battery) is a top performer!
Many Windows Notebooks run strong plugged in and much lower when on battery... regarding GPU.
The MBP M1 Pro/Max performs essentially the same plug or battery.

Have a 2018 MacBook Pro, i9 Intel, 32GB, 2TB storage (NVMe), a 2015 MBP i7 setup and recently received my 2021 MBP M1 Max, 64GB, 2TB NVMe storage. Also have 2x MacPro 2009 reconfigured with high end 6-8GB GPU's, 128GB, NVMe 4TB array; one with MacOS 12.1 and one Win10 64 Wk-Station OS. I'm an IT Director mainly involved in Windows & Unix environment, with minimal Mac in the work place and personal side mainly Mac.

Probably the best "current" Windows Notebook for Graphic / Photography is the Asus Pro Art series (multiple models).

ProArt Laptops - All products | ASUS USA

ProArt Studiobook combines professional-grade performance, displays and color accuracy, making content creation ideal in the studio and on the go.

www.asus.com

Although the MBP M1 Max in my opinion is clearly an out ft performer. I'm not concerned about M1 ARM OS compatibility vs converted programs, that will all quickly correct itself with 1-2 version upgrades across the board. Running Topaz Resize, Sharpen, DXO Tools, On1 tools, FCP, DaVinci and Topaz Video Enhance (heavy tool)... the time to process & complete a task is amazingly shorter with the MBP M1 Max. The GPU heavy load tasks are extremely smooth in comparison to my other notebooks or PCIe GPU's in MacPro.

Only major negative, when configured up in specs the 2021 MBP M1 Pro/Max is pricey... when compared to the strong performing Asus Pro Art or others. Although if you go MBP M1, get what you want in future... nothing is upgradable!

For portability and low investment: ultra fast GPU performance, easily handles multiple 4K video & audio tracks, transitions, etc. I actually find the iPad Pro (2018-2021) 12.9" running "LumaFusion" to be amazing. For the video footage captured by drones & action cameras and primarily destined for YouTube or similar... LumaFusion is a Top Performer! Plenty of Add-ons, uses the Apple Pencil, and if desired can be passed to FCP easily. LumaFusion is $30 bucks, practically free and performs "better" than majority of "common" peppy notebooks attempting to run video editors.

A Samsung T7 NVMe 2TB (USB-C), USB-C 3.1 10GB Port adapter, iPad Pro (1TB storage) and LumaFusion... probably the best portable or quick setup station video editor. You'll be amazed at the speed of the iPad Pro & LumaFusion.

 

[TreeLineView]

As a retired IT Director having dealt with Microsoft Workstations, Servers, etc. for more than 20 years, my personal computer of choice is 16" Intel i9 MacBook Pro, 32GB RAM, with 1TB SSD. No issues with 4k video editing. I'm done with Windows--except for a Win10 VM to mainly use M$ ICE and other legacy apps.

Edit: the Graphics are AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8GB and Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

Similar response. Winter Server/Network guy for 20 years. Said never never never get a MAC. got one from work for a one off Project and never looked back. MacBook Pro with similar specs above. Have a Windows Laptop for running Flir thermal Studio. Everything else is MAC. Mac handles heavy editing work within Final Cut Pro without breaking a sweat.

 

[Hawkwind]

Related: I'm considering a 13" MBP M1 vs MacBook Air M1, I don't see a reason to buy the MBP. Seems like the MBA is basically the same HW, just doesn't have the touch bar, for a LOT less.

 

[dougcjohn]

Related: I'm considering a 13" MBP M1 vs MacBook Air M1, I don't see a reason to buy the MBP. Seems like the MBA is basically the same HW, just doesn't have the touch bar, for a LOT less.

If it’s the same generation (year) as the Airbook M1, then yes they are identical in CPU/GPU processing. The MBP basically provides a few more features/ports.

It’s not until the 2021 MBP M1 Pro/Max that makes a difference between the Airbook.

 

[Hawkwind]

The 13" MBP has the same ports as the MBA, so no difference in ports unless you go with the newer 14" or 16" MBP. So I see virtually no difference in the 13" MBP and 13" MBA.

 

[dougcjohn]

The 13" MBP has the same ports as the MBA, so no difference in ports unless you go with the newer 14" or 16" MBP. So I see virtually no difference in the 13" MBP and 13" MBA.

Opps... that's correct.... I was incorrectly recalling MBA only had 1 USB-C like the older MacBook.
Other than MBP's Fan & Speakers not a huge difference.
They both were offered with 7 or 8 Core GPU's... my interest was zero in these interium models.
I'm waiting to see the new MBA redesign... that maybe a nice upgrade for Wife's 2015 MBP.

 

[dougcjohn]

For the 2020 M1 MBP vs MBA... nice little comparison.

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[D_The_Producer]

Here are my 2 cents:

I was a music producer for almost 20 years (switched to the drone industry due to an ear sickness) I used Macs in recording studios and while studying at university, but they gave me problems constantly (they were too slow to handle the type of sessions I was dealing with, which translated in constant crashes). I am talking about MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac Pros. Everyone at uni would laugh at my Windows PC, but NONE of them could run my sessions, as they did not have the computing power, even though they paid much more for their computers. It was so funny how they were in shock every time they saw my sessions running smoothly... After that, a few of my friends moved to custom Win PCs and never looked back.

Asking on this forum, where most people are from North America, and therefore pro Mac (yes, I've lived in NY and Miami) is not the best thing you can do to make a proper decision IMHO.

With the current situation of chip shortage, you simply won't get a good deal on a Windows-based PC or Hackintosh. A GPU that usually costs 500 EUR, can cost you at the moment around 1300 EUR. Yes, you read that right.

I use Agisoft Metashape for my photogrammetry projects. At the moment, I have a Ryzen 5600x (6 core CPU) and a Vega 56 GPU (getting old this one). 16 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM memory. I edit video in 4K no problem and, for reference, still play most video games in Ultra quality (60+ FPS). I do have to change my GPU and buy more RAM memory though, which I will probably do next month (the RAM, that is, no chance to change the GPU for cheap due to the situations, as I said).

Therefore, at the moment, with the current chip shortage, getting a Mac Pro M1 is not the worst option, just because there is no way for you to find a cheap GPU to build yourself a custom Windows-based PC. You could also buy a MONSTER custom made PC, with twice as much the RAM and CPU power than an M1, but with a cheap GPU (though you really need a decent one for photogrammetry).

So, do consider power vs price, as there are plenty of options. Depending on your photogrammetry projects, you might need some serious computing power (such as 24 cores and 64 GB of RAM) something that the M1 Mac simply can't provide you.

 

[dougcjohn]

Here are my 2 cents:

I was a music producer for almost 20 years (switched to the drone industry due to an ear sickness) I used Macs in recording studios and while studying at university, but they gave me problems constantly (they were too slow to handle the type of sessions I was dealing with, which translated in constant crashes). I am talking about MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac Pros. Everyone at uni would laugh at my Windows PC, but NONE of them could run my sessions, as they did not have the computing power, even though they paid much more for their computers. It was so funny how they were in shock every time they saw my sessions running smoothly... After that, a few of my friends moved to custom Win PCs and never looked back.

Asking on this forum, where most people are from North America, and therefore pro Mac (yes, I've lived in NY and Miami) is not the best thing you can do to make a proper decision IMHO.

With the current situation of chip shortage, you simply won't get a good deal on a Windows-based PC or Hackintosh. A GPU that usually costs 500 EUR, can cost you at the moment around 1300 EUR. Yes, you read that right.

I use Agisoft Metashape for my photogrammetry projects. At the moment, I have a Ryzen 5600x (6 core CPU) and a Vega 56 GPU (getting old this one). 16 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM memory. I edit video in 4K no problem and, for reference, still play most video games in Ultra quality (60+ FPS). I do have to change my GPU and buy more RAM memory though, which I will probably do next month (the RAM, that is, no chance to change the GPU for cheap due to the situations, as I said).

Therefore, at the moment, with the current chip shortage, getting a Mac Pro M1 is not the worst option, just because there is no way for you to find a cheap GPU to build yourself a custom Windows-based PC. You could also buy a MONSTER custom made PC, with twice as much the RAM and CPU power than an M1, but with a cheap GPU (though you really need a decent one for photogrammetry).

So, do consider power vs price, as there are plenty of options. Depending on your photogrammetry projects, you might need some serious computing power (such as 24 cores and 64 GB of RAM) something that the M1 Mac simply can't provide you.

Sounds like a nice system!
What timeframe are you referencing... 20+ yrs ago would be a big difference in architecture & software... and correct, custom builds were common. I'm assuming much shorter timeframe with reference of Ryzen 5600x released in 2020.

You're correct on the high surge of GPU demand but probably under pricing.. even older High-end GPU's are well above $1000-1500 price tag... I fail to understand why in demand other than to entertain Gamers.

My GPU's in older custom build MP 5,1: Vega 64 and 1080Ti, Dual Xeon (12 Cores), 128GB Ram are also aging but still performers, large space consuming power hungry boxes.

Although the MBP M1 Max offers 10 CPU Cores & 32 GPU cores, 64GB Ram... doesn't require huge power supplies and so far runs Metashape 1.8 & Reality Capture within a VM Windows 11 Pro ARM OS without jitters or hesitations, and MacOS FCP, Davinci, and various photo/video tools no issues.... in a nice small portable package.

Although, future need of 24 cores may be... hang on, Apple has that covered. The next series of small footprint MacPro and possibly newer MBP will be in that category. The M1 / M2 Max CPU architecture allows for multiple M1 MAX Processors to be interconnected... 20, 30, 40+ CPU cores in near future, GPU's above 128 Cores. For my simple needs all the power sounds over the top, but it's already on the design tables.

 

[Fred Garvin]

I'm a Mac person, have been since 2007 and the Vista debacle. I love 'em and am comfortable with them. My 2019 MBP with 8 core I9, 32Gb runs Photoshop, Lightroom, Final Cut and Logic Pro....flawlessly. Good enough for me and it's all I use.

However, being in IT for almost 30 years....you can compare CPU/GPU, processing, capability, etc until you're blue in the face. When I recommend hardware, I first decide on what software will be running and the overall solution in mind. Then, with the input of the software vendor and onboard developers, we decide which hardware to buy.

So, decide on what you're gonna be running, then buy the best hardware for that software solution you can afford. No matter what it is....Mac....Windows....Linux....whatever. If the vendor specs it and recommends it, you can bet they will fully support it.

 

[D_The_Producer]

Sounds like a nice system!
What timeframe are you referencing... 20+ yrs ago would be a big difference in architecture & software... and correct, custom builds were common. I'm assuming much shorter timeframe with reference of Ryzen 5600x released in 2020.

You're correct on the high surge of GPU demand but probably under pricing.. even older High-end GPU's are well above $1000-1500 price tag... I fail to understand why in demand other than to entertain Gamers.

My GPU's in older custom build MP 5,1: Vega 64 and 1080Ti, Dual Xeon (12 Cores), 128GB Ram are also aging but still performers, large space consuming power hungry boxes.

Although the MBP M1 Max offers 10 CPU Cores & 32 GPU cores, 64GB Ram... doesn't require huge power supplies and so far runs Metashape 1.8 & Reality Capture within a VM Windows 11 Pro ARM OS without jitters or hesitations, and MacOS FCP, Davinci, and various photo/video tools no issues.... in a nice small portable package.

Although, future need of 24 cores may be... hang on, Apple has that covered. The next series of small footprint MacPro and possibly newer MBP will be in that category. The M1 / M2 Max CPU architecture allows for multiple M1 MAX Processors to be interconnected... 20, 30, 40+ CPU cores in near future, GPU's above 128 Cores. For my simple needs all the power sounds over the top, but it's already on the design tables.

I used Macs in the late 2000s and from 2012 until 2017. Before my Ryzen 5600x I had a Ryzen 1700 (8 core CPU). Even though my new Ryzen 5600x has 2 fewer cores, it's so much faster, the IPC is through the roof in this CPU.

Many photogrammetry rigs use high-end GPUS, and so do music recording studios that edit their videos. I have built a few computers for famous composers/singers here in Spain, and they asked me to include that kind of GPU for that purpose. Is not like they needed it, but they were looking for something that would last them for a few years (it was also before the pandemic, so regular prices).

Yeah, if you have a Vega card, an undervolt is a MUST. I can't imagine running a Vega without doing that, mine was getting 300 W of consumption in factory settings. Those GPUs came kinda broken in that sense.

You say that M1 Max processors can be interconnected to get 40 cores, but you can already have that kind of core count (64 core/128 threads) with Ryzen Threatripper CPU (for a high price, obviously). The new gen of GPUs, in case you haven't heard, will also greatly improve the power consumption thanks to the new lithography (Nvidia RTX4000 and AMD's Radeon 7000 series)

I agree with Fred Garvin, you should probably consider the software first, this is why I mentioned Metashape. It does not work well with Macs, for instance. However, if you will be using another photogrammetric solution that works best with Macs, that's a whole different situation

Best of luck with the decision!

 

[dougcjohn]

I used Macs in the late 2000s and from 2012 until 2017. Before my Ryzen 5600x I had a Ryzen 1700 (8 core CPU). Even though my new Ryzen 5600x has 2 fewer cores, it's so much faster, the IPC is through the roof in this CPU.

Many photogrammetry rigs use high-end GPUS, and so do music recording studios that edit their videos. I have built a few computers for famous composers/singers here in Spain, and they asked me to include that kind of GPU for that purpose. Is not like they needed it, but they were looking for something that would last them for a few years (it was also before the pandemic, so regular prices).

Yeah, if you have a Vega card, an undervolt is a MUST. I can't imagine running a Vega without doing that, mine was getting 300 W of consumption in factory settings. Those GPUs came kinda broken in that sense.

You say that M1 Max processors can be interconnected to get 40 cores, but you can already have that kind of core count (64 core/128 threads) with Ryzen Threatripper CPU (for a high price, obviously). The new gen of GPUs, in case you haven't heard, will also greatly improve the power consumption thanks to the new lithography (Nvidia RTX4000 and AMD's Radeon 7000 series)

I agree with Fred Garvin, you should probably consider the software first, this is why I mentioned Metashape. It does not work well with Macs, for instance. However, if you will be using another photogrammetric solution that works best with Macs, that's a whole different situation

Best of luck with the decision!

Enjoy!

 

[R.Perry]

I'm a windows guy. Started with MSDos 2. something until Gates ripped off Apple for windows.
I use a laptop in the field but prefer my desktop for editing and business needs.

Anymore I think it becomes a personal preference, but since I have never used the Mac my opinion is just that.
One thing I do hate is the Apple I pad, but that is just me.

 

[Fred Garvin]

One thing I do hate is the Apple I pad, but that is just me.

If you had Apple as your solution you'd probably love it. You can use powerful MacBook Pro's as a laptop/desktop driving a large monitor (for a 2 screen solution) and iPad's in the field. Wonderful combination and they all blend/work together thanks to iCloud. (MBP, iPad, iPhone)